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BREAKING — SUSAN RICE TO SUCCEED TOM DONILON: President Barack Obama is set to announce later today that National Security Adviser Tom Donilon is stepping down after more than four years on the National Security Council. Donilon will be succeeded by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, a senior administration official tells POLITICO. http://politi.co/10Yls6V

BRACE YOURSELVES FOR A LATE-NIGHT NDAA MARKUP: Pull out a cold one, take a seat and turn on C-SPAN for HASC’s annual NDAA markup, an event that could last well into the night and include debates over hot-button issues like Gitmo, the war in Afghanistan, sexual assault and an East Coast missile shield.

WHAT THE MARKUP WON’T DO: Resolve sequestration or produce a DoD spending plan that even comes close to making the kind of trade-offs that’ll be necessary next year if Congress fails to stave off the automatic cuts. The bill’s topline is well above the levels required under sequestration, leaving open the possibility DoD will once again have to bring down spending through across-the-board reductions — as opposed to strategic cuts that protect priorities.

We’re expecting a slew of amendments today aimed at curbing sexual violence in the military. In addition ...

— TURNER PLANS TO PUSH MISSILE-SHIELD DEADLINE: Rep. Mike Turner is trying to push the Missile Defense Agency to build an operational missile shield on the East Coast by fiscal 2018, his office tells Morning D. The Ohio Republican plans to put forward an NDAA amendment that would require the agency to “make operational in fiscal year 2018 an additional homeland missile defense site capable of protecting the homeland, designed to complement existing sites in Alaska and California.” We’ve got more details here, for Pros: http://politico.pro/17mKCTS. And here’s the amendment text, also for Pros: http://politico.pro/18T5OBq

We also hear Rep. Randy Forbes is crafting a pair of amendments aimed at China.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where we’re holding our second annual reader contest to predict the time — to the minute — that HASC’s NDAA markup will end. Send your predictions (along with tips and feedback) to awright@politico.com and tmak@politico.com.

And keep in mind … Last year’s winner was Major Khi Jackson, who predicted the markup would end at 2:20 a.m. He was one minute off: The gavel dropped at 2:19 a.m. Another reader, Todd Sadowski, guessed 2:17 a.m. — two minutes off. So the competition is likely to be fierce ...

HAPPENING TODAY — HAC-D TO MARK UP ITS DoD BUDGET: The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee is holding a closed-door session at 11 a.m. to mark up its DoD budget for the next fiscal year. A draft bill released yesterday would fund the Pentagon at about $3.4 billion below President Barack Obama’s request from earlier this year — but at nearly $30 billion over the cap imposed by sequestration. The bill is available here: http://1.usa.gov/13DiSoA

MILITARY LEADERS CLASH WITH SENATORS OVER GILLIBRAND PROPOSAL: Top military officials appeared before SASC yesterday to address legislative proposals aimed at addressing sexual assault. And the brass was united against one piece of legislation offered by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. The proposal would take away the authority of military commanders to determine whether sexual assault cases go to trial.

“You have lost the trust of those men and women who rely on you … they are afraid to report, they fear their careers will be over … that is our biggest challenge right there,” said Gillibrand.

Responded CJCS Gen. Martin Dempsey, defending the current process: “If you’ve heard each of us suggest that the role of a commander is central in solving this problem, it’s because we believe that the role of the commander is essential to any change we will be able to make on this issue.” http://politi.co/16IUQP1

— Inhofe urges caution: SASC’s top Republican, Jim Inhofe, said the most recent defense authorization bill passed by Congress had 10 provisions relating to sexual assault, many of which haven’t had time yet to take effect. “Our commanders haven’t had enough time to implement the most recent changes and now some think we need to change things again,” Inhofe said.

— McCain says he can no longer give 'unconditional support' to women contemplating military service: Sen. John McCain, himself a former naval aviator, told the panel yesterday he was so disturbed by sexual assault in the military that he cannot give his “unconditional support” to women thinking of joining the services. http://politi.co/16IUQP1

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TOP TALKER — UNRELEASED DoD IG REPORT SAYS PANETTA DISCLOSED TOP-SECRET INFO: An unreleased report prepared by the DoD Inspector General’s office says former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta disclosed top-secret info at an event attended by a “Hollywood executive” working on the movie “Zero Dark Thirty,” according to the Project on Government Oversight. The group also says it has evidence the inspector general’s office decided to hold off on releasing the report until after Panetta’s retirement.

The unreleased draft, which POGO has obtained, says Panetta discussed the top-secret info at a CIA event honoring participants in the Osama bin Laden raid, according to the watchdog group. “The report is not yet completed,” a spokeswoman for the Inspector General’s office said. “Once it is released, if it is unclassified, it will be posted on our Listserv and in our newsletter as well as on our website.” http://bit.ly/15z3JGe

HAGEL MIGHT ATTEND GAY PRIDE EVENT AT PENTAGON: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel might attend an upcoming Pentagon event celebrating June as gay pride month, The Washington Blade reports. Sources told the Blade, which covers LGBT issues, that Hagel has expressed interest in attending but has not yet expressed a firm commitment due to his schedule. http://bit.ly/11gfvRu

In 1998, Hagel told the Omaha World-Herald he was opposed to an ambassadorial candidate, James Hormel, because Hormel was “openly, aggressively gay.” Hagel apologized for those remarks after they resurfaced during his confirmation process, and Hormel eventually endorsed him.

REPORT: DoD SPENDING RESTRAINT WOULD MAKE SEQUESTER CUTS DOABLE: Two conservative groups say the Pentagon would be able to comply with sequestration and still provide a robust national defense by exercising more fiscal restraint. In a report released yesterday, the right-leaning think tanks R Street Institute and National Taxpayers Union make detailed recommendations for how the DoD budget can be trimmed with as much as $1.9 trillion in reforms through 2023. As one example, they call for canceling the V-22 Osprey. The report is here, via POLITICO’s Leigh Munsil: http://politico.pro/18TCfQ2

MAKING MOVES: DAVIDSON TO COMMAND SIXTH FLEET: The president has nominated Navy Rear Adm. Philip Davidson to command the Sixth Fleet in Europe. The outgoing Sixth Fleet commander, Navy Vice Adm. Frank Pandolfe, has been assigned as director of strategic plans and policy for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Davidson currently serves as director of maritime operations for Fleet Forces Command, in Norfolk, Va.

— At least eight foreign-sponsored organizations have attempted to hack into computer networks at the Department of Veterans Affairs in recent years, a former VA computer security chief told Congress, according to the AP: http://bit.ly/13E6K6T

— Hundreds of Afghan citizens are demanding U.S. soldiers be arrested in connection with the deaths of Afghans they say were victims of torture by U.S. special operations forces, The Associated Press reports. http://bit.ly/135E7yN

WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Donelle Harder, communications director for Sen. Jim Inhofe, gave birth last month to a baby girl. Philece Harder was born May 10 at 7½ lbs. Donelle told Morning D her daughter is named after Philemon, a family ancestor who fought next to George Washington in several battles during the Revolutionary War.

THAT’S ALL FOR US. Have a great Wednesday.

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